The film, co-produced by John, who is also playing the lead in it, came under the scanner after Tamil activists alleged that it portrays the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres as terrorists.

After attending a special preview of the Shoojit Sircar-directed film Sunday, the objection against the film by the groups grew stronger.

Tamil filmmaker Seeman, head of Naam Tamizhar (We Tamils) group, said the film was "nauseatingly anti-Tamil".

In a related development, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu unit chief Pon Radhakrishnan said the movie should not be released in any part of the country.